Swarm and Sting
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Charlotte Hornets’ Defense Starting to Hit Their Stride at Home

By Jerry Stephens

Jan 21, 2017; Charlotte, NC, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Ramon Sessions (7) reaches in to steal the ball from Brooklyn Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie (8) during the second half at the Spectrum Center. The Hornets won 112-105. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 21, 2017; Charlotte, NC, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Ramon Sessions (7) reaches in to steal the ball from Brooklyn Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie (8) during the second half at the Spectrum Center. The Hornets won 112-105. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports /
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Since returning home after a miserable road trip, the Charlotte Hornets have turned things around and it is thanks in large part to their defense.

The Charlotte Hornets are a defensive first team. Plain and simple. That is what Steve Clifford has built this team on since his arrival and no matter how many weapons they add on the offensive end, their success will always hinge on their ability to defend. After a road trip where they lost all five games, something clicked with their defense once returning to The Queen City.

Prior to the Hornets’ 107-85 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers in their first game of their five-game homestand, they had allowed their opponents to score 100+ points in eight straight outings. In fact, the opposition was averaging 112.3 points per game during that eight-game stretch. To make matters worse, Charlotte went 1-7 during that time and even dropped under .500 for the first time since February 6th of last season.

It was not a pretty stretch for the team but they are making the most of an extended homestand. Since returning home, they are holding their last three opponents to only 89.3 points per game. They even held the Blazers and the Toronto Raptors to under 90 points. In the case of the Raptors, who are the third highest scoring team in the NBA at 110.2 PPG, the Hornets’ tough defense held them to only 78 points.

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This isn’t only a recent trend, the Hornets have been at their best when their defense is performing well. When holding opponents to under 100 points this season, the team has a 15-1 record. That mark gets even better at home as they are 10-1 when the opposition fails to score 100 at The Hive.

Compare these great numbers to the Hornets’ record when their opponents score over 100 points this season. In those games, Steve Clifford’s side has an 8-20 record so far this year. Great defense is Charlotte’s winning formula and their key to success. The numbers support the fact that they are simply a much better team when playing well on that end of the floor.

Even though the team lost their way a bit earlier this season, they seem to be hitting their stride and rounding back into form as of late. They will need to continue their great defensive play going forward if they want to achieve their goals of making it past the first round of the Eastern Conference in the playoffs. I think it’s safe to say that this team will only go as far as Kemba Walker and their defense takes them this season.

Next: Kemba Doesn't Believe He's an All-Star This Season

The Charlotte Hornets don’t have great individual defenders but as a whole, they can be a deadly defensive unit. Despite their struggles this year, they are still 10th in the league at 103 opponents points per game. They will need to get that number lower as the season goes on and get their defensive to travel and show up on the road. As for now, their defense is hitting their best stretch of the year.

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